Thursday, 29 November 2012

The problem with most charity event giving pages is that they only allow you to donate to charities that have already paid to register with them. If I want to run an event for Cancer Research UK - no problem, they've probably singed up with JustGiving, Virgin Giving, or another website that allows their supporters to advertise their sponsored events.

If I want to run a marathon in aid of Bartholomew’s Donkey Sanctuary in Barbados (I made that up by the way) - no such luck.

Red Bow White Box is not specifically a charity giving site:

Red Bow White Box has templates for Birthdays, Weddings, Indie Films, Theatre Projects, and Bands. There are even templates for support or help with Medical bills.

This makes it less secure than charity giving sites that send the donations directly to the charity's own bank account. But it still allows for Mary to do her school swimathon to raise money for absolutely any good cause she wants to, whenever she wants to. I think there's definitely a place for this type of crowd sourcing tool in the charity sector.

Plus, it appears to be free for both the charity and the fundraiser.

If you decide to give it a go, please drop a comment and let us know how you get on.

Holly: I work at an open source software consultancy, we would be more than happy to point you in the right direction for this. We offer configuration, support and training for open source software solutions so if you've got any questions or are looking for a helping hand feel free to call us on: (UK) 01923 220121 .

Sarah: Our Community Accountants always recommend QuickBooks (but not Simple Start) to small groups/charities as it does restricted funding, which is often a necessity. Think Amazon is the cheapest place to buy - about £150?

Shirley: Yes I would also recommend Quickbooks. Sage is ok if you are a trained accountant but Quickbooks is much easier to use. You can use a "class" for each fund and it makes reporting to fund providers easy. You can have a free trial for 30 days to see if you like it.

This year’s Global Gender Gap Report claims that only 20 per cent of the world’s women hold some form of political power... Commissioned by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the report utilises a ‘framework’ that tracks differences in the resources available to women and men, in economics, politics, education, and health, and countries accordingly.

The findings are stark. They show a real terms 20% fall in donations to charities during the past year. Fewer people are giving and those who do are giving less. And this is against a backdrop of spending cuts and rising demand for services. Whilst the picture for individual charities varies this overall view of the sector is concerning.

Britain, however, remains a generous nation with donors supporting all manner of good causes, both at home and overseas. Preserving and making best use of that generosity is more important now than ever so that's why, together with CAF, we have launched a brand new campaign:

Thursday, 22 November 2012

I'm going to devote a separate week focusing
solely on overseas volunteering at some point in the future.

For now, I can't complete this week's theme of
'volunteering' without a brief mention of overseas opportunities.

I'll pick VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas)
simply because it's the best know, has a fantastic reputation, and - well,
because I had a very pleasurable two years with them in Africa.

If you are a graduate, a professional, a crafts person, a
retiree with time on your hands, or a young person aged 18-25 - check them out.
There are so many different opportunities that I can't list them all, but you don't
have to apply for a specific job. Go through their online application process
and they will contact you if there is a match that you might be interested in.

By volunteering with VSO, you get to put your
skills, energy and personal qualities to work helping people break out of
poverty.

We’re currently looking for people from all sorts of backgrounds, from health
and education through to engineering, IT and management.

We have placements in over 30 countries all over the world.

VSO cover your travel, accommodation, a local
allowance and medical cover. They really are the best of the best when it comes
to volunteering in international development. Their intake includes the UK,
Netherlands, Kenya, Ireland, India and the Philippines. I believe they also
have recruitment partners for Canada and Australia.

Other countries also have long-established,
reputable schemes such as Peace
Corps in America.
Please do share your country's equivalent in a comment below.

Wednesday, 21 November 2012

Continuing this week's theme of volunteering, and following on from yesterday's post on youth volunteering opportunities, here's where to look if you're an adult who wants to volunteer, or an organisation looking to recruit volunteers.

[UPDATE JUNE 2016 - Volunteering England has now become part of NCVO.]

Volunteering England is an independent charity and membership organisation, committed to supporting, enabling and celebrating volunteering in all its diversity. Our work links policy, research, innovation, good practice and programme management in the involvement of volunteers.

If you're reading this blog from outside the UK and Ireland, please feel free to share your country's volunteering centre link in a comment below.

For potential volunteers, these centres should be able to help match your skills and interests with opportunities in your local area. For organisations, they can help to provide tools and resources to help you manage your volunteers effectively.

You can also try a Google search for your location or county + 'volunteer centre' as there are local, regional centres for volunteering in most of the UK.

Tuesday, 20 November 2012

vInspired, or just V for short, is a fantastic UK initiative to encourage young people aged 14-25 to volunteer in their communities, start projects, and even log the number of hours they've spent volunteering:

vInspired is an independent charity dedicated to helping young people volunteer in ways that matter to them...Since its launch in May 2006, vInspired has worked with over 500 charities and community organisations to create over 1 million youth volunteering opportunities.

You can search for opportunities in your area by typing in your postcode.

Monday, 19 November 2012

First topic that comes up a lot: 'Will volunteering affect my Jobseeker's benefits if I'm unemployed?'

I'm not a benefits expert, so I suggest asking your benefits officer directly. However, there's an uplifting piece of advice from Westminster Volunteer Centre:

There is a common misconception that volunteering and being on benefits are not compatible. Actually the opposite is true: If you’re getting benefits, you can be a volunteer and, in nearly all cases, your benefits will not be affected.

Volunteering can be a fantastic way to get extra experience on your CV. If your organisation is a member of their local Voluntary Action Council (membership is usually gratis for smaller organisations) they may also be able to send you on some free accounting, administration or fundraising courses.

Try to pick a charity:

Devoted to a cause you are interested in

That already has a healthy volunteering scheme (talk to your local Volunteer Centre)

That you feel comfortable and valued within

Many volunteers go on to paid positions later down the line, and the networking opportunities gained from volunteering can be a real confidence boost.

If you do experience difficulties volunteering because you are unemployed, please sharein a comment below.

Friday, 16 November 2012

I'm giving Fridays over to funnies. We all need a little light relief come the end of the week.

Here is a wonderful poem posted on LinkedIn by Alexander Swallow, based on Kipling's If.

If you can keep your head when all about you,Have read the briefings five times to your one,If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,And feel that your duty has been done;If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,And plan ahead so your intentions don't surprise,If you let your brain be constantly creating,And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream- and not make dreams your master,If you have patience for the long-term game,If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster,And treat those two impostors just the same;If you can bear to hear a new agenda topic,When your stomach rumbles and you've a train to catch,If the finance sheets are making you myopic,But you're determined that they've met their match;

If you can keep your mind fixated,On those the charity's there to serve,If you're working harder than anticipated,And you approach the lot with vim and verve;If you keep fellow members smiling,When your own is wearing thin,And hang in there when the pressure's piling,And take your setbacks on the chin;

If every time one's added to your number,You're bothered to make them feel at ease,If you can drag others from their slumber,To see the options you must surely seize;If you can fill the unforgiving meeting,With two hours worth of good work done,Yours is the Earth, and everything that's in it,And- which is more- you'll be a Trustee, my son!(or daughter!)

Gap Analysis compares your current situation with the future state that you want to achieve once your project is complete. By conducting a Gap Analysis, you can identify what you need to do to "bridge the gap" and make your project a success.

It specifically talks about conducting the analysis on projects, but you can use it to take an overall look at your organisation in relation to where you want to be next year and the year after. Include one in your Operational Strategy.

This guide provides an overview of the key aspects of charity fraud. There is a lot ofguidance already available on fraud and navigating through various sources can be difficult. This guide pulls together guidance from the organisations named on the insidecover, including the Charity Commission, Fraud Advisory Panel and National Fraud Authority, for trustees and staff to use as a starting point.

It covers everything from creating a culture of ethical behaviour to accounting and transactions.

Monday, 12 November 2012

I was recently at a meeting where someone told me they wanted to volunteer in a 'real developing country - not somewhere like India.' When I asked what they considered a real developing country to be, they brought up India's recent economic growth as a case against its need for international aid.

This will not prevent international charities operating in the country, working with the country's poorest and most disadvantaged communities, but it will mean that aid money currently given to India by the UK government will be redistributed amongst other countries and continents, such as Africa.

The above article contains two videos putting across both sides of the argument. International Development Secretary, Justine Greening, explaining that India's economy is growing successfully, and Emma Seery of Oxfam pointing out that a third of the world's poorest people still live in India.

Advice and technical assistance from the UK will continue to be ongoing.

As I mentioned in my politics post, I firmly, like most aid workers, believe that India should start to use its growing wealth to secure the welfare of all of its citizens.

However, I worry that Justine Greening's emphasis is on developing India's Private Sector in poor areas. The emphasis should be on developing a Voluntary Sector. Private Sector ethics are no substitute for humanitarian assistance. What happens to the poor people you can't make money out of?

Friday, 9 November 2012

The theory behind traditional merchandising is to brand items (pens, T-shirts, bags etc.) with the organisation’s logo and hand them out for free at events so that people will remember who you are. It’s still done widely.

But is this sustainable?

Free merchandise is a form of advertising, but you have to decide whether the amount of money you spend on these items is worth the return you get.

Thursday, 8 November 2012

Continuing this week's theme of charity merchandise, my final product pick is the remembrance poppy, worn throughout the UK, and by Brits abroad, to commemorate Armistice Day on 11th November. The money goes towards supporting our servicemen and women past and present.

The poppy factory was founded in 1922. The interesting thing about it, is that it is still run today as a Social Enterprise, employing a high proportion of staff with post-traumatic stress syndrome.

As mentioned in the video below:

What we expect people to do here is to work to the best of their ability. That isn't judged at the speed they are able to produce product.

What a breath of fresh air.

Poppies are generally on sale in most larger shops, and public places such as libraries and hospitals, for however much people care to put in the collection tin.

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

A couple of years after wristbands, the next big charity merchandise craze hit.

Many supermarkets who were upset because their shopping trolleys were being stolen, fitted them with special release mechanisms. You put £1 in to a special slot and reclaimed it after shopping when you returned the trolley.

This meant that you always had to have a £1 coin when you went shopping in order to use a trolley.

Charities created the 'pound for life.' A small metal disk the same size and weight as a pound coin that you could clip on to a keyring.

People loved them because they were easy to carry around, so you didn’t have to remember to take £1 with you every time you went shopping. Charities branded these with their logos and created a double-win success. They became extremely popular and raised a lot of money.

Tuesday, 6 November 2012

Continuing on from ribbons, awareness raising bracelets were first introduced by the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research in 2004.

By 2005, hundreds of charities including Make Poverty History, Testicular Cancer, Breast Cancer, Epilepsy and even Deaf Pride were selling wristbands to raise money. Depending on the size of the charity, these sold for anything between £1 and £5 pounds.

As with ribbons, different colours represent support for different causes. These colours usually remain the same as corresponding ribbons. Their use as a fashion accessory helped to secure their popularity amongst everyone from teenagers to office staff. Slightly more expensive to produce than ribbons, but a notable fashion accessory.

Thursday, 1 November 2012

Give in 60 seconds or less in support of any of 5,871 charities in 29 countries

One of its key features is that it allows you to start your own My Giving Group, to promote your charity and fundraising activities.

It seems to have two functions.

For Donors: it allows individuals to suggest charities they wish to give to, make secure online payments and direct debits, tell people about the charities they support and set up giving pages. This suggests it may be another alternative to Just Giving.